Inclosable or folding wringer



April 1o, 192s. 1,665,932

W. G. vPETERS INCLUSABLE 0R FOLDING WRINGER Filed June 30, 1921 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Apnl 1o, 192s. 1,665,932

W. G. P ETERS NCLOSABLE 0R FOLDING WRINGER Filed June so. 1921 2sheets-sheet 2 Patented Apr. 10, .1928.

UNITED' STATES 1,665,932 PATENT OFI-Ica WITILLIAZFI` G. PETERS, OFPEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB T WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

INCLOSABLE OR FOLDING WBINGEB.

Application led June 30, 1921. Serial No, 481,634.

One object of my invention is the provision of means for starting Yorstopping or reversing the wringer.

Another' object of my invention is the provision of a mounting wherebythe wringer may be positioned inside the cabinet of the machine, whenthe machine is not being used, and whereby the wringer may readily beplaced in operative position and moved from one position to another asdesired.

Other objects of my invention will appear and be described in thespecification,

The novelty of my invention will be hereinafter more fully set forth,and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 Sheet 1 is an elevation of a washingmachine, a part of the cabinet being broken away and showing anembodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 Sheet 1 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the wringermounting and driving mechanism.

Fig. 3 Sheet 1 is a section taken on the dotted` line 3-3 of Fig. 1looking to the right.

Fig dotted line 4-4 of Fig. 1 looking to the left.

Fig. 5V Sheet 2 is a broken sectional view of the lower portion of Fig.2 Sheet 1 showing the parts in a different position from that shown inFig. 2.

The same numerals of reference are used to indicate identical partsinall the figures.

As illustrating onev form of device embodying my invention, I haveshown-in the drawings a washing machine comprising a cabinet 1 which maybe mounted on suitable casters 2 and 1which is provided with a tub 3within which the washing element, not shown, is mounted and operates. Amotor 4, provided with suitablev power leads and switch, not shown, ismounted in the lower portion of the cabinet' 1 and drives, through belt.5 and sheave 6, the main drive shaft 7 4which extends through a housin8 and carries a' worm 9, Fig. 4, which mes es with I and drives wormwheel 10, loosely carried on the shaft 11 which projects l throughthehousingk 8 and carries the crank cement in the ab a.

12 which drives the connecting rod 1.3, Fig. e

. 4 Sheet 2 is a. section taken on the The carrier 15 is' fixed on'v theshaft 11, Fig. 4, and carries pins 16 which are adapted to engageopenings 17 in the web of the worm wheel l0, to form a clutch betweenthis wheel and the shaft 11, the fpins 16 being operating shaft 27which, as shown in ig.

l, extends upwardly from the housing 8 and v passes through ahorizontally arranged shelf 28 of the ca inet 1, and is provided on itsupper end with an operating handle 29, the construction and arrangementof the parts just described being such that when the shaft 27 is movedfrom the position shown i'n Fig. 4, the fork 23 is operated to compressthe spring'21 and withdraw the pins 16 from their enga ement with theworm wheel 10,

.thus stopping the revolution of the shaft 11 and consequently thewashing element in the tub 3. By moving the shaft -27 a ain to theposition shown in Fig. 4, the for 23 is moved to permit the spring 21 tocause the enga ement of the pins 16 with the worm4 whee 10, as soon asthe latter has moved to bring its openings 17 to a position to beengaged by the pins 16.

The shaft 7 passes into a second housing 30 and carries a second worm 31meshing with a worm wheel 32 carried by a vertically arranged shaft 33as shown more clearly in Fi 3, the upper end of this shaft, as shown inig. 2 and Fig 5 carrying a clutch member 34, the shaft 33 having itsbearin in a base 35, the latter as shown in 1, carried by a member 36on'the orizontal shelf 28 of the cabinet 1, the base 35 serving as ameans of attachment for the wringer mechanism, the structure of whichcomprises a member 37 which is y-connected to the base 35 and whichcarries a support ing tube 38 u mounted dtllixe ousilg 39 which encloses.the wrmger ving an reversing The shaft 40 issjourngled 1n the'tube 38 iadapted to engage either a bevel pinion 44 vmay be released to which isloosely mounted on the shaft 40 below the square. portion thereof, or abevel pinion 45 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 40 above thesquare portion thereof, the clutch 43 being engaged by a shifter' 46which is operated by handle 47 the latterbeing provided with a small rib48 which engages recess in the end of bearing portion 49, the rib of thehandle 47 being held in engagement. by the spring 50 to the end that theclutch will remain in whatever position it is placed, until manuallyoperated.

The ringer 51 shown in Fig. l carries a drive shaft 52, Fig. 2, whichcarries a bevel gear 53 which meshes with both the pinions 44 and 45,the construction'being Such that when the clutch 43 engages the lowerpinion 44 as shown in Fig. 2 the wringer will be operated in onedirection, and when the clutch engages the pinion 45, the wringer willbe operated in the opposite direction.

The housing 39 is split and provided with a clamp bolt 54,- the latterbeing provided with a handle 55 by m'eans of which the position of thewringer may be adjusted and controlled, the. clamp bolt 54 serving asmeans to tighten the housing 39 in any of its adjusted positions on thetube 38 and in addition, clamping the frame of the wringer `51 in anyadjusted position with relation to the housing 39, the wringer' 51 beingcon nected to the housing 39 by a species vof bayonet joint consistingof a segmental rib 56,

Fig. 2, and a. matmg flange 57 shown in dotted lines and carried by thewringer 51, the arrangement being such that when the clamp bolt 54 isreleased and the wringer 51 given a quarter turn from the position shownin Fig. 1, the Wringer may be removed from the housing 39 carrying withit the shaft 52 and driving gear 53, whereupon any other piece ofmachinery may be connected to the housing 39 and be operated through ashaft similar to the shaft 52 and a gear similar to the gear 53, thesearts being provided with a connecting mem )er which will engage thebayonet joint of the housing 39 in the same manner as the engagement ofthe wringer 51.

The member 37, Figs. 1, 2, and 5 in addition to being hinged to the base35, carries a lock 58 which is provided with a hook 59 adapted to engagea portion 60 of the base 35 the lock 58x being preferably threaded andprovided with a wing nut 61 by means of which the lock may be tightenedto hold the mem- -ber 37 rigidly in position as shown in Figs.

1 and 2, the lock being arranged4 so that it permit the member 37toassume the position of Fig. 5, the clutch `Wringer may be turned fromthe position shown in Fig. 1 to a position in which the handle 47 facesthe operator, this being a quarter turn around the tube 38 from the po-'I sition shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the lock 58 may be released and thewhole wringer mechanism moved to the position indicated in Fig. 5 inwhich position the wringer will lie wholly within the area of thecabinet 1 8 whereupon the cover may be applied and the machine moved outof thev way until again required for use.

It is to be noted that'with a machine such as shown and described, thewashing element i may be started or stopped at will while the motor isrunning` and that the Wringer also may be operated at will in eitherdirection, and may be swung to any position'desired around the tube 38,and may be folded when i not in use sothat it is within the cabinet,thus materlally enhancing the appearance of the machine and reducing theamount of space `necessary for storage of the machine when not 1n use. 9

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

l. In a washing machine the combination of a driving gear, a hingedtubular support for a wringer, a -Wringer carried by said 1 support andadjustable around the same, a. wringer driving mechanism within saidsupkort, and a cluutch between the wringer riving mechanism and thedriving gear whereby when the hinged'tubular support is in operatingposition the clutch will be engaged. L I

2. In a washing machine'the combination of a driving gear, a hingedtubular support for a wringer,A a wringer carried by saidA support andadjustable around the same, a wringer drivin mechanism within saidsupport, a, clutch etween the wringer driving mechanism and the drivinggear whereby when the hinged tubular support is in operating positionthe clutch will be engaged, and means for locking the -wringer supportin operating position.

3. In a wringer construction for a washing machine, the combination witha vertical drive shaft and driving means therefor, of a base bearing forthe upper end ofl the drive shaft, a Wringer in a. rame, a tubularsupport therefor hingedly mounted upon the base bearin a driven shaftoperatively connected to t e wringer and dlsposed within the tubularsupport, and cooperating clutch elements on the'upper end of the driveshaft and on the lower end of the driven shaft which' engage when thewringer is raised l shaft, and means to its normal operating positionand disengage when the wringer is moved to a nonoperating position.

4. A Wringer construction as described in claim 3 'in which the Wringerframe is rotatable and adjustable around the tubular support to anydesired position.

5. In a wringer construction having an operating and anon-operatinglposition, the combination with a vertical drive shaft anda base bearin for its upper end, of a clutch element on t e upper end ofthe shaft, a driven shaft,- a clutch element on the lower end thereof, awringer driven from the other end thereof, a bearin support for thedriven or pivoting the latter bearing support upon the base bearing toermit the clutch elements to engage or isengage and thereby operativelconnect or disconnect the driving and t e driven shafts as the wringeris moved to its operating or non-operating position.

6. In a wringer construction, the combination with a wringer, of atubular support therefor, wringer-driving mechanism including a drivenshaft within said support, a drive shaft, cooperating clutch members onthe adjacent ends of the shafts, a bearing for the driven shaft servingalso as a base to carry the tubular support, and means whereby thetubular support is pivoted on the base to ermit the clutch member on thedriven sha t to engage, or be disengaged from, the clutch member on thedrive shaft as the wringer is moved to uprightoperating position orlowered to non-operating position.

7. In a wringer construction, a wringer and a vertical drive shaft, atubular support for the wringer, a driven shaft within the `tubularsupport to drive the wringer, a pivot for the tubular wringer supportwhereby the driven shaft may be vertically aligned with the drive shaft,a clutch element on each shaft for operatively connecting them, and

means for latching the tubular wringer support in position.

WILLIAlVI G. PETERS.

